


Come Home

by beautifulmadness13



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Dark, F/F, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2020-01-01 06:26:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,424
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18330449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautifulmadness13/pseuds/beautifulmadness13
Summary: 3 years 2 months and 16 days, that's how long it's been since she left.





	Come Home

**Author's Note:**

> You guys really seemed to like 'Lucky' thank you for everyone's support that meant a lot!  
> I said I would continue to write for posie if you guys wanted me too and you did so here we go!  
> 

3 years 2 months and 16 days, that's how long it's been since she left. Josie felt like she hadn't slept, stopped crying, or moved forward at all since that night.

 

_Penelope, don't go_

 

What she wouldn't give to make the pain stop, to make the wanting, needing, yearning for Penelope's touch go away.

Sometimes it felt like she was drowning even though she was dry. Like waves were falling and crashing around her, suffocating her, pulling her down into the depths of an ocean she couldn't actually see.

Why does it have to hurt so bad?

 

_For weeks I had been hoping you would give me one reason to stay_

 

They say that time heals all wounds, well Josie thinks that's a load of bull shit because it's been years and she's still mourning a girl who hasn't even died.

The night Penelope left Josie slept in her old dorm. She'd needed to be close to the raven-haired witch, or at least as close as she could be to someone who was on the other side of the world. She moved into the room not long after and for months she barely left.

Lizzie would come in and drag her out a few times a week, forcing her into the shower and shoveling what little food the brunette would allow into her stomach. But it was hard for the blonde to see her sister like that, especially when it seemed like no matter what she did Josie only slipped further away.

 

_Instead you gave me a thousand reasons to go_

 

MG was just as lost as Lizzie. He was heartbroken about losing Penelope too and he tried to connect with his best friend over that but Josie was so distant all the time. It didn't matter what he said he never could get through to her and that only made the pain of Penelope's absence stronger.

Her father would send Emma to check in on her, too scared to actually face the girl himself now that he knew she knew about the merge. He devoted all of his time to running the school while helping Caroline find a cure as best as he could from Mystic Falls.

 

_I will not wait around and watch what happens to you next_

 

Hope was the only one who seemed to understand how Josie was feeling and never tried to push. She would let herself into the perpetually darkened room and stare at Josie's basically lifeless form cocooned under the blankets of the double bed before laying down next to her. They never spoke, just lied together in the silence, in the dark, lost in thought.

 

_My heart can't take it_

 

Eventually though, Josie did start to come out of her depression a bit. It was gradual but after a year of hardly participating in life, she'd managed to wake herself up. Taking baby steps with the help of her sister and her friends, she started to learn how to live without Penelope Park.

In the light of day it was easier, there were classes to attend, games to participate in and people to hang out with. During the day the sea would calm and Josie could catch her breath.

But at night the darkness consumed her. Alone in ~~Penelope's~~ her dorm the pain became almost unbearable. She would clutch the pillows tightly to her chest sobbing and swearing that if she breathed them in hard enough she could still smell the green-eyed beauty. They also helped to muffle the screams that came along with the nightmares she'd have any time she closed her eyes. Nightmares about Penelope leaving her alone. The worst part was when Josie would wake up in a cold sweat reaching out for the witch only to realize that it wasn't a dream, she really was gone.

 

_I don't understand_

 

If Josie concentrated hard enough she thought she could still see the outline of her ex in the mattress of her bed. Could still hear their late night conversations and whispered confessions of love. Could still feel the gentle touches and caresses of their first time together and the many times that had come after. But it wasn't just in the room that Josie could sense Penelope.

Everywhere she went there were reminders of the other girl. The library where they would have their study dates, the classrooms they would sneak into when no one was looking, the front steps of the school where they first met. No matter what she did Josie couldn't escape her and it only prolonged her suffering.

It was hard for her to focus on anything else. Even the merge was pushed to the furthest corners of her brain. And on some of her darkest days, Josie thought that she actually wouldn't mind losing to her sister, at least then maybe the waves would stop throwing her around.

 

_Well you will_

 

Life carried on but for Josie, it was like everything stood still, time was frozen in the exact place that Penelope had left it. Moving on isn't an option if you are stuck in the past. So that's where she remained, trapped in the memories and hypotheticals of what could've been, what should've been.

She didn't try to reach out to her, maybe she should have. Josie could've easily gotten a hold of her new address and sent a postcard, a peace offering, but she never knew what to say so she didn't say anything at all. Instead, she read the journal Penelope left her religiously until she had the words seared into the back of her eyelids. She didn't really care what it said, it was just one of the only things she had left of her so Josie treasured it. Tracing the curve of the witches handwriting, she'd memorized the letter that Penelope had given her as well. The stupid goodbye note that had shattered her whole world with just a few short words.

If only she could go back, make the selfish choice, win the pageant and keep Penelope with her. She'd do it in a heartbeat if it meant never having to say goodbye to the love of her life. But she couldn't. Life was cruel that way, there are very few second chances and absolutely no take backs.

 

_One day you'll understand why I did, everything I did_

 

So further she would sink into the abyss of the invisible water, allowing the current to take her, but only at night. The rest of the time she put on a brave face and to the outside world, her family and friends, things were getting better. She hoped that if she played pretend long enough, forced herself to act happy, then maybe one day it would come true.

 

~~~~~~

 

3 years, 2 months and 16 days.

 

Her mother was finally coming home. Caroline had been searching for a cure for the twins' entire lives and apparently, she had finally found it. Josie was of course happy to have her mom back and grateful that she and Lizzie would no longer be forced to fight to the death, but there was still something missing. A giant Penelope Park sized hole in the brunette's heart that just wouldn't heal.

 

Slipping on her shoes, Josie took another look around her dorm, eyes landing on the picture frame sitting next to the bed. A photo of the two of them pre-breakup laughing and holding on to each other, back then Josie thought it would never end. She quickly wipes away a tear sliding down her cheek, standing up and straightening her uniform skirt and blouse. Her hair in its signature two buns and her necklace from Hope hanging around her neck. She takes a deep breath forcing the storm inside her head to stall just for a few hours so she can be with the people who love her, then once she's alone she'll allow it to rage on.

As she steps through the door she immediately feels the eyes of her fellow peers land on her. It seemed like they were always searching, watching, waiting for her to snap she assumed. Ignoring them she continued towards Alaric's office knowing everyone else would already be gathered there. Hopefully, she would be able to slip in give a quick smile, a hug and leave. She really wasn't in the headspace to be around anyone today.

 

“Josie!” Caroline's bright and cheerful voice cut through the hazy fog of her mind and her head snapped up, a smile already plastered on as her eyes met her mother's.

 

“Hey mom, I'm so happy you're home, we've missed you.”

She said 'we' because in all honesty though she had missed her mother greatly, there was someone else who her heart yelled for significantly more.

Wrapping her arms around the blonde's waist she allowed the vampire to squeeze her for a solid minute before slowly extracting herself from the embrace.

The touch from anyone other than the person she craved most almost seemed to hurt the brunette now. And when even her sister placed a hand on her shoulder she couldn't help but flinch away.

Caroline stepped back from her daughter taking in her appearance, noting the dark circles under her eyes as well as her constant fidgeting, she couldn't stand still. She was stressed and she looked tired but had obviously tried to hide it.

Caroline knew she hadn't been coping well since Penelope had left. She'd heard all about Josie locking herself in the girl's old dorm, not eating or sleeping. It broke her heart, as it would any mother, to see her baby suffering especially because she understood the pain of losing the person you love.

Josie didn't like the look she was receiving, the one that screamed empathy, it made her feel weak. And maybe she was, considering she had barely been able to keep it together over the past few years, but she didn't need anyone's pity, didn't want it.

Ducking her head to avoid the woman's gaze she made her way over to Hope and Lizzie standing next to their father's desk.

The redhead nodded and offered her a small smile while her twin shuffled a bit to give her some space. She would never be able to thank the two girls for everything they had done for her since Penelope left. They'd had to put up with all of her issues for so long, and neither one ever complained even though Josie knew they were tired. She probably wouldn't have survived this torment without them.

 

The three teens stood listening to Alaric and Caroline explain their findings. The merge was now a thing of the past, the cure was theirs and Lizzie and Josie could continue to live their lives without dreading their 22nd birthday.

“Thank god mom because I really did not want to have to be absorbed by Jo, talk about a shitty way to go.” They laughed, Josie stayed silent.

 

Caroline cleared her throat eyes locking on her youngest. She knew what she was about to say next would have a drastic impact on the already delicately balanced girl. The last thing she wanted was to upset her daughter further but she deserved the truth.

“Well actually I-”

 

“Hey, where's my thank you? I helped.”

 

Sharp green eyes, softly curled black hair and a gentle but mischievous smile. Josie was dreaming. She must have fallen asleep standing up, she'd done that before, there was no other explanation, no way that Penelope Park could be standing in front of her.

But she was. Standing there in the center of everything, having just walked in from the hall looking as beautiful as the day she left.

Josie felt her heart seize, her throat closing. The waves were getting higher, the water rushing faster. Her legs were starting to sway with the movement and no amount of pretending was going to stop the ocean from taking her down this time.

 

“Like I was saying”

Caroline gave the raven-haired witch a pointed stare and Penelope looked away guiltily.

She knew she was supposed to stay outside until Ms. Forbes had had a chance to tell them all the part she'd played in getting the cure. How she had spent the last two years traveling Europe with the vampire after she had found Penelope at her all witches boarding school in Belgium.

But once the witch had gotten a glimpse of Josie walking into the office it had been impossible for her to wait. She knew how much the brunette had struggled with her absence, she'd wanted to reach out to her but she hadn't been sure if that would just make things harder for the girl she loved. She'd wanted Josie to move on, to be happy. She'd thought that it would be easier for the taller girl if Penelope wasn't hovering, she'd been wrong.

Penelope could see now how tired Josie was, she was practically swaying on her feet, and she'd lost weight her clothes hung loosely on her already thin frame. But what hurt Penelope the most to see is the way the siphoner curled into herself, flinched away from everyone around her, from the noise and the lights. She looked like she was just waiting for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. But that was not going to happen. Penelope was back now, with the answer to all of their problems and this time she was staying for good.

 

“And that's when Penelope managed to use a little glamour spell to trick the old bitch into telling us exactly what we needed to make the cure possible.”

 

“Hey, mom language.”

 

“Sorry baby.”

 

Too much, it was all too much she couldn't process it. Make it stop, everything needs to stop, please it hurts.  
Suddenly everyone's attention was drawn to the quiet girl in the corner. Josie looked paler than she had all morning and her swaying had become more intense. Hope caught Penelope's eye and both girl's agreed on a plan without speaking a word. The redhead began to file everyone out of the office to give the two girls privacy. What was happening to Josie right now was something only Penelope could fix, everyone including Lizzie seemed to understand that and didn't fight Hope as they left.

The look Penelope gave the tribrid conveyed everything she wanted to say just not while they were in public. She knows how important Hope is to Josie, how much they both care for each other and she knew that Hope was one of the only reasons the brunette hadn't been swept away completely. She'd kept Josie afloat when Penelope had left her to drown. _Thank you for being here when I wasn't, for keeping her safe from herself_.

Hope gave her a small nod, of course, she would always be there for Josie and Penelope needed to stop beating herself up over this. Yes, she left but she'd had no idea the kind of impact that would have on the brunette. It was clear to everyone around them how intensely Penelope loved the shaking girl and that's what was important. That being said as much as Hope liked the green-eyed witch if she ever pulled a stunt like this again there would be hell to pay. A broken-hearted Josie wasn't fun for anyone and Hope would move heaven and earth to stop it from happening again, even if that meant taking down the girl standing in front of her.

Penelope understood and was more than grateful to have someone in her life that would hold her accountable if she fucked up, that's what best friends are for. But Hope didn't have to worry, none of them did, she was home and she was never leaving her girl again.

 

When the other's spoke it was all just white noise to Josie. Penelope was back, but she hadn't ever really left? She was confused, sad, excited and scared all at the same time but mostly she was dizzy. She squeezed her eyes shut as the current began rushing past faster. Every time she would break through the surface to try and take a breath the waves would crash back down on her, her lungs filling with the invisible liquid instead of air. She was choking, gasping, surely she was about to die, no living creature could survive conditions like these.

But then there were hands holding on to her arms, like a life raft in the dark unforgiving sea. Unlike the touch of everyone else these hands didn't hurt, they warmed, chasing the icy waters away.

She could faintly hear the voice of someone, probably Hope clearing the room and felt the warm hands guide her towards the floor until she was sitting on something soft, a person, she was in someone's lap.

 

“Josie.”

That voice, she knew that voice, loved that voice but it had left her all alone, cold and in the dark.

 

“Josie it's me baby, it's Pen. Can you open your eyes for me, honey?”

Penelope. Penelope was back and she's holding her. Penelope was holding her in her arms. The girl who Josie's heart had been begging for was back. But what if this wasn't real? What if this was just a dream. A cruel trick being played on her by her own mind. Well if this is a dream then she's never waking up. She won't allow herself too. The pain in her chest was finally subsiding having Penelope so close to her again and the relief from that was worth never opening her eyes.

 

“Josie please, show me those big brown eyes. You know how much I love them. Please baby this isn't a dream I promise I'm here, I'm right here, just look at me.”

She promised. Penelope promised her she was real. Could she trust that? Could she trust the girl who had left her to drown? She had to, she wanted to. God Josie still loves her so much, she always will, and that love comes with unconditional trust. Penelope could ask her to run into a burning building with no way out and she would, she wouldn't even think about it, that's kind of what this feels like right now.

Slowly she began to open up, to look at the face she'd missed so much she'd nearly suffocated in her misery.

 

“That's it JoJo, look at me, I'm here and I promise I'm not leaving.”

Penelope stared into glossy brown eyes watched as they searched her face for something. She wasn't sure what they were looking for but they must have found it.

 

“Pen?” Josie's voice, barely above a whisper, still managed to be the most beautiful thing Penelope had ever heard.

 

“Yea Jo, it's me.”

 

And just like that after 3 years 2 months and 16 days, the thing inside Josie, her soul which had been torn apart when Penelope had left finally began to stitch itself back together.

The floodgates opened and all at once every ounce of pain, of fear, of love that Josie had felt but hadn't been able to let go of since losing the other girl, suddenly rose to the surface pouring out of her. She sobbed into Penelope's neck, gripping on to her shirt hard enough to almost tear the fabric, she was never letting go.

 

“That's it honey let it out, let all it out. I'm sorry JoJo, I'm so sorry I left you.”

Penelope rubbed the brunette's back, pulling her flush against her front. Her own heart tearing into pieces. She could feel the desperation, the agony in her lovers cries, and it killed her.

 

Tears dripped down on Josie's head and she realized that Penelope was crying too. It grounded her, helped her stay in the moment, kept her anchored so she couldn't drift away again.

Penelope was back, her Penelope. She wasn't alone anymore. She couldn't care less about the cure right now, all that mattered was having the raven-haired witch back. She was back and she promised she was never leaving again. Yes, there were discussions to be had, obviously, they couldn't just pretend like the last 3 years hadn't happened but that was something to think about later. For right now just being together again was enough.

 

“I've got you JoJo, I've got you.”

For the first time in what seemed like forever, the water was gone, she was standing on dry land, the storm had finally passed and Josie could breathe.

 

**Author's Note:**

> don't forget to leave a kudos/like :)  
> twitter: @pxnelopepark


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